Oregon Raising Cigarette Tax, Pushing More to Buy Their Smokes in Idaho

Idaho continues to have significantly lower cigarette taxes than its neighbors. Washington's is $3.02, Montana's is $1.70 and Nevada's is 80 cents per pack. Only Wyoming comes close to Idaho with its 60 cents per pack tax.

More smokers are expected to cross into Idaho in 2014 to pick up their cigarettes.

Oregon is the latest state to bump up its tax on cigarettes. Effective Jan. 1, Oregon is raising its cigarette tax by 13 cents to $1.31 a pack.

By comparison, Idaho's cigarette tax is 57 cents, the eighth lowest in the nation. Missouri's is the lowest at 17 cents per pack.

Idaho continues to have significantly lower cigarette taxes than its neighbors. Washington's is $3.02, Montana's is $1.70 and Nevada's is 80 cents per pack. Only Wyoming comes close to Idaho with its 60 cents per pack tax.

The Centers for Disease Control estimates that 43.8 million adults smoke cigarettes in the U.S.

Each summer, TheAwl.com tracks the average price of cigarettes across the country by calling a random gas station in the most populous city of every state in the nation, plus Washington, D.C., and asks a clerk for the price of a pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes, including tax.

As of July, the cheapest pack of Marlboro smokes was in Kentucky at $4.96. Kentucky was followed by North Dakota ($5.04); West Virginia ($5.07); Oklahoma ($5.19) and Idaho ($5.25).

The most expensive pack of Marlboro Red cigarettes in July was in New York ($14.50). New York was followed by Illinois ($11.59); Hawaii ($9.68); Arizona ($9.65) and Alaska ($9.59).